>> the tense standoff is unfolding in the heart of the sahara desert. abc's tahman bradley has the very latest. tahman? >> reporter: u.s. officials believe american workers are being held hostage overseas. reports indicate 15 to 40 people were abducted from a bp oil field in algeria, followed by an attack of al qaeda-linked insurgents. >> by all indications, this the a terrorist act. >> reporter: the total number of hostages being held is unclear. a senior intelligence official tells abc news, it appears three u.s. citizens remain in captivity. >> i hope you will understand that, in order to protect their safety, i'm not going to get into numbers. i'm not going to get into names. >> reporter: the attack began when 20 islamic militants approached the oil workers, reportedly heavily armed, driving in 3, unmarked vehicles. the workers were on a bus headed to a nearby airport. fighting erupted between security forces for the workers and the militants. at least one foreign worker was killed, others wounded. the terrorists then headed to the compound where the gas refinery workers live.

along with americans, the militants are also holding british, norwegian, french and japanese workers. >> the united states strongly condemns these kinds of terrorist acts. >> reporter: the militant group has been linked to a series of kidnappings of foreign nationals for ransom in north africa. they say the attack was in retaliation for the french-led invasion in the neighboring country of mali. the french are trying to stop an al qaeda-linked group from taking over that nation. u.s. officials believe the attack was too well-organized and orchestrated to have been planned since the french invasion. paula? john? >> now, we do know the leader has a bit of a track record. the leader of the group holding the hostages. what else do we know about him, tahman? >> reporter: well, we know this leader is ruthless. he runs an african organized crime network that reportedly has made tens of millions of dollars in ransom from kidnapping and smuggling. his nickname is mr. marlboro. one former captive describes him as very cold and very business-like and a man to be feared.

>> all right. tahman bradley in washington. thank you. to the major fight over gun control. the national rifle association's president tells abc news, his group is aggressively preparing for battle against president obama's new proposals. mr. obama introduced them yesterday at the white house, as abc's jonathan karl reports. >> reporter: as gun sales across the country continue their record pace, gun advocates reacted swiftly to the president. declaring they will fight his proposals on every level. when the president made his announcement, he was joined by four kids that wrote him letters after sandy hook. >> julia said -- julia, where are you? i'm not scared for my safety. i'm scared for others. >> reporter: rush limbaugh mocked that. >> the children are writing letters to the president. we don't want to die. we don't want to die. >> reporter: the president's

proposal, if passed by congress, would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazine clips. and require background checks on virtually every gun sale. even those between private individuals at gun shows. he called on supporters to put pressure on members of congress. >> ask them, what's more important? doing whatever it takes to get an "a" grade from the gun lobby that funds their campaigns? or giving parents some peace of mind when they drop their child off for first grade? >> reporter: the president also announced 23 executive actions he can take without congress, including improving existing background checks and getting security officers for schools that want them. >> it's going to be a battle. we're going to be there. and we're going to fight it. >> reporter: the president's first task is to convince members of his own party to support his plan. specifically the 11 democrats in the senate who have either an "a" or "b" rating from the nra. without their support, his plan doesn't have a prayer of passing. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. and the budget stalemate in washington has the nation's military leaders making a stark assessment.

in a letter to congress, the pentagon's top brass says the military could become a, quote, hollow force, if an annual budget isn't approved or if threatened budget cuts take effect. the letter says u.s. forces will be severely compromised if something isn't done. developing this morning, more troubles for boeing's new high-tech dreamliner. the faa has ordered all of the aircraft operating in the u.s., grounded indefinitely. united, the only american carrier right now flying 787s. the faa says battery fires can result in damage to these systems on the aircraft. air india and two japanese airlines have ordered their 787s out of service. there's 50 dreamliners in service. about 800 have been ordered. the aurora, colorado, movie theater where 12 people died in a shooting rampage last july, it officially reopens today. 2,000 tickets are being handed out to survivors of the massacre, first responders and hospital workers. some survivors and victims'

relatives plan to attend, saying it will be therapeutic. others are boycotting the effect. popular destination along the jersey shore is finally on the road to recovery, months after it was devastated by hurricane sandy. seaside heights, awarded $3.6 million in contracts to have its famous boardwalk rebuilt by memorial day. today, bids will be taken to remove the town's iconic rollercoaster from the water. >> going to be sad for a lot of people to see that go. it is time, now, for the weather from across the nation. a major storm hitting the southeast and mid-atlantic. there's going to be rain from tallahassee to atlanta. washington, d.c. starting off with rain and switching to snow by the afternoon commute. so, you need your galoshes and snow boots. heavy fog and stagnant air in seattle, boise and salt lake. >> the midwest is going to get a blast of arctic air. fargo, barely above zero. it warms up nicely in the desert southwest. miami could approach a record high in the mid-80s. a little warmer than usual in the northeast, with boston at nearly 40 degrees. when we come back on this thursday, the biggest tv you've ever seen. we're not kidding.

and why 70 could be the new 65. the influential call to raise the retirement age. and a big reward in the hunt for the ak-47 bandit. no secret how he got his nickname.

and welcome back, everyone. final numbers are in on foreclosures for 2012. and they show the crisis easing up. reality track says that banks repossessed 671,000 homes last year. that's down 17% from the year before. but some foreclosures have been delayed by new banking rules. and that backlog, it could mean an upswing that we will see

early this year. there's a new call to raise the retirement age to 70. it comes from more than 200 of the country's most influential ceos. the business roundtable is packing a plan to raise the enrollment age for social security and medicare to 70, as well as partially privatized health care for seniors. some big changes in jamie dimon's paycheck. the jpmorgan chase ceo is swallowing a 50% pay cut. he goes down to $11.5 million from $23 million. it's a fallout from the bank's $6 billion losses from trading that went bad. but dimon has jpmorgan shares at $263 million. and how is this for an overachiever? a boy in southern california has just become the youngest certified specialist at microsoft. and he's 9. yes, 9 years old. the fourth grader passed the exam a few days ago. apparently his skills in

differential calculus helped him to write the programming. in case your 9-year-old isn't solving world peace at the moment. if you're in the market for a bigger tv, check this out. this is a monstrosity. it's the biggest tv in the world, in the universe, known to man. 201 inches. that's more than 16 feet. porsche designed the l.e.d. set, which is selling for more than $660,000. it's too large to fit inside. but the company says it would be perfect on a yacht or on the front lawn. >> not in a new york city-style apartment. that would take up the whole apartment. >> or you could have an outdoor movie theater. >> absolutely. when we come back, the woman who was wedged in a wall. how rescuers finally got her out of an eight-inch space. you can't make this stuff up. the headlinemaking heartbreak of the notre dame football star that turned out to be a hoax. we'll tell you about it.

e in hep and then fill the rest up with cream and it -- mommy, what's going on? what are you doing? so when we did the blonde roast, she finally went from a splash of coffee to only a splash of cream. and i thought that was so cool, i said "well she's enjoying this." ♪ ♪ a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier.

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should be a much easier ride across new england after yesterday's messy morning commute. nasty mix of snow, sleet and rain causing a major delay on i-93, backing up traffic for 40 miles, from new hampshire to boston. but others made the best of the weather. with so many schools closed, these families couldn't wait to hit the slopes in connecticut. >> family time, right? now, for a look at morning road conditions. it's going to be messy around jackson, mississippi, and birmingham, alabama, with snow, believe it or not. snow along the interstates around atlanta. heavy fog will limit visibility in seattle, salt lake city and boise. >> and if you're flying, airport delays are possible, in atlanta, charlotte and d.c. and now, that bizarre story involving heisman trophy runner-up, notre dame linebacker manti te'o. he could answer questions today about a very elaborate hoax. >> that hoax all centers on te'o's girlfriend, who it turns out, never existed.

details from abc's michael barr. >> reporter: manti te'o, notre dame star linebacker and now the victim of an incredible hoax. last september, he mourned the death of both his grandmother and the person he called the love of his life, girlfriend lennay ke cuewa, six hours later. he went on to lead the fighting irish to a series of victories that catapulted him to be a finalist for the heisman trophy. te'o talked openly about his double loss. >> my brother called me. and he was just crying and crying. and that's when i kind of knew. but i was still in denial. >> reporter: now, it turns out lennay kekua did not exist. the story was reported on the sports news website deadspin. notre dame then admitted it had launched an investigation in december and determined in early january, te'o was a victim of a hoax. >> this was an elaborate, sophisticated hoax, perpetrated

for reasons we can't fully understand. but had a certain cruelty at its core. >> reporter: swarbrick said te'o's relationship with kekua was online and over the phone. they never met. te'o has been tragically impacted by these events. >> the thing i am most sad of, sad about, is -- sorry. the single-most trusting human being i've ever met will never be able to trust in the same way again in his life. >> reporter: manti te'o is expected to talk about the hoax in the next few days. michael barr, abc news, new york. >> so sad. and law enforcement officials are offering a $100,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest of a bank robber dubbed the ak-47 bandit. the suspect is wanted for holding up five banks last year in california, idaho and washington. in one heist he shot and wounded a police officer. and the fbi believes that he will strike again.

and firefighters in portland, oregon, used heavy cutting equipment to free a woman who was trapped in the tight space between two buildings. she was in there for four hours before being freed. the woman had been smoking on the roof of one of the buildings when she fell into that void which was only eight to ten inches wide. important medical news for moms who are expecting. a new study confirms that the flu vaccine is safe for pregnant women and their babies. that's reassuring news since the current flu epidemic is raging. researchers found, going without the shot is risky. pregnant women who get the flu have a higher chance of fetal death. now, some sports for you. a historymaking night in the nba. we have the highlights from espn. >> good morning. i'm doug kezirian with your "sportscenter" update. we start in the nba, where lebron james was on the verge of becoming the youngest player ever to score 20,000 points. first-quarter action. dwyane wade, the alley-oop from half-court to lebron who throws

it down. second quarter action. history in the michael. lebron, double-clutching, gets it to go, passing the 20,000 point mark. youngest player ever to reach that milestone. miami led the warriors by 14 at the break. fourth quarter, look familiar? wade to lebron. half-court alley-oop. heat runs away with this one. ray allen, wide-open. not going to miss from there. heat improve to 2-3, on this six-game road trip. it wraps up tonight against the lakers at staples. in the western conference. okc, best record in the nba, hosting the nuggets. russell westbrook, pull-up "j" in the paint. 16 points in the first quarter. second quarter action now. thunder, already up 17. westbrook, the hoop and the harm, three-point play the old-fashioned way. durant.

k.d., the monster dunk, blowing by fareed. thunder go up by 23. third quarter, now. westbrook scored 32 points in just 28 minutes of action. that kind of night for westbrook. and that kind of night for the thunder. alley-oop, from kevin durant, to surge ibaka, and the foul. okc pummels denver, hanging on 117. that loss snapped the nuggets six-game win streak. although, denver has done most of its damage at home. that does it for me. i'm doug kezirian. enjoy the rest of your day. >> we plan on it. don't we? >> we do. we're enjoying it already, before anybody else wakes up. the man we got to know in our homes as phillip drummond on "diff'rent strokes" has passed away. >> conrad bain was the adoptive father to gary coleman and todd bridges on that show. in addition to his tv work, he was a veteran of the stage and films. conrad bain died monday of natural causes in california. he was 89 years old. >> we remember him warmly.

>> yeah. up next, "the pulse." and the food police blowing the whistle on the most extreme restaurant meals. more than 3,000 calories on 1 single plate. >> wow. >> i say yum. >> i know. bring us a sample. and the secrets of the spa jeans that promise a built-in moisturizer to give you silkier legs. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke.

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about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine? ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. it is that time of the morning. we're going to check "the pulse," the stories you're going to be talking about today. hate to ruin it for you. but it's a must-see if you plan to eat out anytime soon. >> this is unbelievable. the extreme eating awards. the latest winners, chock full of calories and other diet-busting goodies.

>> smoothie king's peanut power plus grape smoothie. 1,460 calories and 22 grams of goodness. >> chili's rack of ribs. 2,300 calories. 45 of saturated fat. >> order a diet coke with it. and it may look healthy. but the cheesecake factory's bistro shrimp pasta. 3,100 calories. you can check out the list on abcnews.com. >> splurge once in a while. and maybe you need to buy some new jeans after that gut-busting food affair. get ready for spa jeans. >> listen to this. wrangler, rolling out the world's first moisturizing jeans. >> what? moisturizing? >> yeah. apparently more comfortable. the company promises that the spa denim jeans will leave your

legs silky for days. the choices include aloe vera, olive extract. >> silky for what? >> silky for -- >> days. they cost 140 bucks. people will need to dig deep. >> after you wash them, does it have the moisturizing effect? >> why don't you try it out? we'll save this for later. >> can you see me wearing moisturizing jeans? >> i can see you in skinny jeans. and a mask is a choice for burglars. but this man left his at home. >> this guy decided to improvise with a bucket on his head. he's robbing a seafood business where he once worked. he's stumbling around. police still did manage to identify him. police still did manage to identify him. >> from the smart burglar file. it can be frustrating. t it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid

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>> abc7 news starts right now

with live breaking news. >> the breaking news is from algeria where an official announced in the last 20 minutes at least 20 foreign hostages have escaped from the captors. militants affiliated with al qaeda took dozens hostage at a gas plant which has been surrounded by the algerian army and now there is a stand off with the militants. we will have more in a live report from washington in the next half hour. >> at 4:28 another "spare the air" day and a cold start to the day. >> and frost on the roof of the car day. >> that is the way it is going this morning. hello, everyone. live doppler 7 hd shows the conditions have not changed with a dry air mass and limited radar runs, if any. what concerns me, check out visibility in santa rosa, quarter-mile visibility so there is moisture hanging in the air.

the temperature is below freezing. if we have a concern for black ice it will be in santa rosa 10. subfreezing in concord and livermore and mid-30's around the bay shore and mid-40's around oakland and san francisco. today is "spare the air" with sunshine and a lot of us getting to 60. >> good morning, everyone. good news from fremont where we had a head on collision at the mission street off-ramp southbound 880 which has been cleared. the roadway is wide open southbound 880 at mission. we have road work eastbound four left lane is blocked until 6:00 a.m. westbound is good with the commute direction from antioch no delays moving to pittsburg. road work south 101 at the seminary exit, just beyond that exit, through mill valley until 6:00. kristen and eric?

>> developing news for a second day, a flight between tokyo and silicon valley is canceled as the grounding of the boeing 787 dreamliner expands around the world. we are live in san jose airport with the latest move against the problem-plagued dreamliner. >> good morning. if you have plans to catch the flight from san jose for japan tomorrow, it is not happening. the airlines will rebook you through san francisco. be sure to check with the airline. the dreamliners are staying on the ground around the world. tuesday's emergency landing in western japan was the final straw with battery problems on board, smoke in the cockpit. passengers had to use slides to get off the plane and everyone said that is enough. two japanese airline grounded the planes voluntarily and the f.a.a. has ordered all the planes be grounded including united